ENHANCING THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA'S STUDY ABROAD PEER ADVISING PROGRAM: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF MARKETING STRATEGIES

Abstract

The study abroad program at the University of Arizona offers eye-opening international educational experiences for undergraduate students. Unfortunately, many students experience difficulties during the information-gathering and applications phases, which cause them to withdraw from the program before committing to a session. This research focuses on the Study Abroad experience and takes a qualitative perspective by interviewing several students that applied and successfully studied abroad. Based on the transcripts of interviews with study abroad returnees, the study identifies pain points within Study Abroad marketing and Peer Advising and provides concrete recommendations for how to improve the process. These include providing dynamic cost information, student testimonials, and automatic application submission responses to increase engagement and reduce the number of dropped leads.